1. Batman Arkham City
I'm actually pretty surprised that this game was on the top of my 2011 list. I originally was somewhat skeptical in how Rocksteady would make an open world batman game that could capture the spirit of Batman like the seclusion I felt while playing their masterpiece Arkham City. I loved the story of the first game and I worried they wouldn't be able to have that same focus on storytelling while making a bigger experience. I'm happy to say I was wrong and they created one of the most engrossing games I've ever played. There's nothing like flying through the streets of Gotham as batman and fighting a huge gallery of Batman's greatest foes. If you have any interest in a fun action adventure game or if your a big fan of Batman you owe it to yourself to check this game out!
2. Portal 2
The original Portal was one of my favorite games of all time. I loved that it focused on inventive puzzles rather than just being another run of the mill first person shooter. Portal 2 proved that the formula of the first had enough to offer not only a worthy sequel but one that builds on the first one in many meaningful ways. Including more complex puzzles and absolutely brilliant co-op. If your looking for a game that offers something different from anything on the market this is the game for you.
3.Uncharted 3
I've been a fan of the Uncharted series since its inception. I love the feeling of playing a big budget summer movie that only the Uncharted games can deliver. Uncharted 3 continues this trend with some of the best set pieces I've seen in a Video Game and the characters I've grown to love. The writing and story are top notch and leave you on the edge of your seat!
4.Skyrim
Many people would have Skyrim as their top game of the year, but I found myself reluctant to do so. While I absolutely love the environments and the vast amount of stuff to do; I absolutely couldn't stand some of the bugs I encountered while playing. Some left my ps3 frozen forcing me to unplug my system and restarting. I literally felt afraid to explore without saving every couple of minutes because I didn't want it to freeze my PlayStation and thus losing hours of progress. Nonetheless It's still an amazing experience and luckily with some of the updates Bethesda has released to fix bugs its still one game I can't help but go back to again and again. I am dragon born!!!
5.Rayman Origins
This is easily the most surprising game on my list. I didn't know a thing about it before I decided to play it but I urge all who read this to check it out. It's easily the most beautiful game I've ever played (seriously you need to see this game in motion) and a great 2D platformer. Add in four player co-op and you have one of the best recipes for a great Friday night!
6.Assassins Creed Revelations
Probably the weakest entry in the Assassins Creed series, I still thoroughly enjoyed AC:Revelations. While I thought it didn't really innovate in terms of gameplay and the additions weren't necessarily a good thing (I'm looking at you tower defense!) the formula that made me love the past games still kept me enthralled. Couple that up with some awesome story reveals and a cliffhanger ending and you get a game any fan of the Assassins Creed franchise shouldn't miss (especially with Assassins creed 3 coming this fall).
7.Littlebigplanet 2
If i had to describe Littlebigplanet in one phrase it would be "limitless creativity". It's a game that's more about creating and experiencing others creations than actually winning. You can create your own levels and even your own games and share them online with millions of people. You can make a shooter, racer, 2D platformer, the possibilities are limitless. There are so far about 1 billion user created levels in Littlebigplanet 2. That's more levels than you could play in an entire year!
8.Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
I never had the opportunity to play through the original "Ocarina of Time" when it first came out back in 1998. I didn't have a N64 so I had to watch my cousin and friends play through it. It's always been one of those titles that I knew I NEEDED to play at some point in the future. Once they announced that a remake was coming for the Nintendo 3DS I knew I needed to play it. I bought a 3DS just to play it and I can safely say I wasn't disappointed.
9.Super Mario 3D land
I don't know if there's much more I can say other than its a Mario game. I found myself literally struggling to put it down once I started playing. It blends together 2D/3D Mario games to create a very fun and unique experience that you can only get on the 3DS. While I'm not a fan of 3D in general I actually found myself using the 3D the entire time I played it. Truly a great reason to own a 3DS.
10.Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3
While I feel shooter fatigue setting in with a new Call of Duty releasing every year I feel like Modern Warfare 3 is still arguably the best shooter that came out all of last year. The story is like a full blown summer popcorn movie with loads of set piece moments and the multiplayer is as polished as it's ever been. It's hard to hate on something that's so well made.
I'm actually pretty surprised that this game was on the top of my 2011 list. I originally was somewhat skeptical in how Rocksteady would make an open world batman game that could capture the spirit of Batman like the seclusion I felt while playing their masterpiece Arkham City. I loved the story of the first game and I worried they wouldn't be able to have that same focus on storytelling while making a bigger experience. I'm happy to say I was wrong and they created one of the most engrossing games I've ever played. There's nothing like flying through the streets of Gotham as batman and fighting a huge gallery of Batman's greatest foes. If you have any interest in a fun action adventure game or if your a big fan of Batman you owe it to yourself to check this game out!
2. Portal 2
The original Portal was one of my favorite games of all time. I loved that it focused on inventive puzzles rather than just being another run of the mill first person shooter. Portal 2 proved that the formula of the first had enough to offer not only a worthy sequel but one that builds on the first one in many meaningful ways. Including more complex puzzles and absolutely brilliant co-op. If your looking for a game that offers something different from anything on the market this is the game for you.
3.Uncharted 3
I've been a fan of the Uncharted series since its inception. I love the feeling of playing a big budget summer movie that only the Uncharted games can deliver. Uncharted 3 continues this trend with some of the best set pieces I've seen in a Video Game and the characters I've grown to love. The writing and story are top notch and leave you on the edge of your seat!
4.SkyrimMany people would have Skyrim as their top game of the year, but I found myself reluctant to do so. While I absolutely love the environments and the vast amount of stuff to do; I absolutely couldn't stand some of the bugs I encountered while playing. Some left my ps3 frozen forcing me to unplug my system and restarting. I literally felt afraid to explore without saving every couple of minutes because I didn't want it to freeze my PlayStation and thus losing hours of progress. Nonetheless It's still an amazing experience and luckily with some of the updates Bethesda has released to fix bugs its still one game I can't help but go back to again and again. I am dragon born!!!
5.Rayman Origins
This is easily the most surprising game on my list. I didn't know a thing about it before I decided to play it but I urge all who read this to check it out. It's easily the most beautiful game I've ever played (seriously you need to see this game in motion) and a great 2D platformer. Add in four player co-op and you have one of the best recipes for a great Friday night!
6.Assassins Creed Revelations
Probably the weakest entry in the Assassins Creed series, I still thoroughly enjoyed AC:Revelations. While I thought it didn't really innovate in terms of gameplay and the additions weren't necessarily a good thing (I'm looking at you tower defense!) the formula that made me love the past games still kept me enthralled. Couple that up with some awesome story reveals and a cliffhanger ending and you get a game any fan of the Assassins Creed franchise shouldn't miss (especially with Assassins creed 3 coming this fall).
7.Littlebigplanet 2
If i had to describe Littlebigplanet in one phrase it would be "limitless creativity". It's a game that's more about creating and experiencing others creations than actually winning. You can create your own levels and even your own games and share them online with millions of people. You can make a shooter, racer, 2D platformer, the possibilities are limitless. There are so far about 1 billion user created levels in Littlebigplanet 2. That's more levels than you could play in an entire year!
8.Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
I never had the opportunity to play through the original "Ocarina of Time" when it first came out back in 1998. I didn't have a N64 so I had to watch my cousin and friends play through it. It's always been one of those titles that I knew I NEEDED to play at some point in the future. Once they announced that a remake was coming for the Nintendo 3DS I knew I needed to play it. I bought a 3DS just to play it and I can safely say I wasn't disappointed.
9.Super Mario 3D land
I don't know if there's much more I can say other than its a Mario game. I found myself literally struggling to put it down once I started playing. It blends together 2D/3D Mario games to create a very fun and unique experience that you can only get on the 3DS. While I'm not a fan of 3D in general I actually found myself using the 3D the entire time I played it. Truly a great reason to own a 3DS.
10.Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3
While I feel shooter fatigue setting in with a new Call of Duty releasing every year I feel like Modern Warfare 3 is still arguably the best shooter that came out all of last year. The story is like a full blown summer popcorn movie with loads of set piece moments and the multiplayer is as polished as it's ever been. It's hard to hate on something that's so well made.
